Skeletons In The Closet
by Bagge
Summary: Two certain archaeologists are discussing a little genealogy.


**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Renpics who no doubt have a whole wing of temps in their payroll spending their time looking for fanfic not including this line and sending threatening emails to the unlucky bards responsible. 

**Sex and subtext:** If you have problem with persons copulating with animals, showers of gold or close relatives, then Greek mythology is probably nothing for you. If you also have problem with interspecies-relationship, humans getting raped by gods or two girls having children together, then you should probably not be watching Xena Warrior Princess. This fic however is just fine as long as you don't have problem with homosexual relationships.

**Summary:** Two certain archaeologists are discussing a little genealogy.

**Spoilers:** There is an s5 spoiler in here. The rest are early s4 references or earlier.

**Feedback:** Yes please!

This fic is written in parallel with my other fics - The Voice In The Attic and The Strength Within. They are basicly about the same thing (even if this one plays slightly another tune).

Skeletons In The Closet 

* * *

Janice Covington let the boxes she was carrying thump down on the floor. She breathed out, relieved of letting go of the burden. With used-to fingers she lit a match on the brim of her hat and carefully used it to lit an oil-lamp. The flame illuminated a gloomy room with bare and quite dirty walls, a rugless floor and no more pieces of furniture than a lonely chair and some crates filled mostly with books. Janice stood still for a moment to admire it, then she turned around to Melinda Pappas who with considerable difficulties was dragging a huge golden-framed mirror into the small apartment. 

"Well, sweetie. No furniture, no electricity, slimy things living in the corners and we have as much running water we wish - at least as long as it keeps raining. Ain't the most romantic place in town, but it's all ours and ours alone." She took hold of the mirror and helped leaning it to a wall.  
"It is lovely Jan" her girlfriend smiled. "I could never have thought of a better place to live in!" She bent forward to steal a kiss. "The most moderate hut would be like a palace for me, as long as I live there with you."  
"Ya romantic fool" Janice laughed, happily receiving the kiss. "It is just for a few months anyway. Just as much time we need to go through the museum storage."  
"We are not that much in a hurry - are we?"  
"We might be lucky. I got a telegram from professor Piotr who said that... oh, that wasn't really what you was asking, was it?"  
"Not at all" Melinda answered sweetly and pulled the not-at-all reluctant archaeologist close, and for quite a while no more words were exchanged - well, no word forming sentences anyway. The reflection in the mirror showed two very happy girls indeed.  
"I will definitely like it here" Janice breathlessly said after a while.  
"So will I."  
"We would better go down and get the rest of the stuff before someone is nicking it from us."  
"Oh. All right then."  
"Ya don't think that mirror is a bit on the posh side by the way?"  
"I admit it is a bit of burden when we are moving house, but I got it from my mother. Besides, I like looking at us in it."

It was one of the very few times she had the pleasure of seeing the adventurer embarrassed Melinda noted with glee.

"Oh My! The big, tough archaeologist is blushing." she exclaimed. "What do you think Gabrielle would say if she saw you?"  
"And what would Xena say if she saw her descendant barely able to lift a mirror" Janice retorted, maybe not very imaginative.  
"Well - at least we know how I descend from Xena." Melanie answered airily.  
"Just what do ya mean with that?"  
"We know Xena had children I could descend from. What about Gabrielle? Her marriage to Perdicus wasn't very fruitful in that sense. And what other children and grandchildren are there... Of course, we always have this adventure in England... You don't feel like suddenly burst in flames or growing spikes all over your beautiful body, do you?"  
"Oh - and you should descend from Solan then, who was killed as a child? Either they start early in centaur villages or we have to look somewhere else... Let se, can we think of any children of Xena living to mature age. O yes! Look like someone have a little 'psycho blond' in her."

The reflection in the mirror showed them standing nose-by-nose in front of each other, cheeks lifted, hands at their side. They stood so for about thirty seconds before they started to laugh and kiss each other again.

"Only proves we can't reconstruct the lives in detail of people who lived two thousands years ago, even with the help of Gabrielle's scrolls." Janice finally said as they hand in hand went out to take care of the rest of there luggage.  
"It would be interesting though, to know more about their children." Mel said longingly.  
"Well, who knows? If we are lucky in this damned museum maybe..." the voice of the archaeologist faded to a murmur as they left their apartment.

The room was empty except for the boxes and the big, golden-framed mirror. The reflection of the two women, kissing each other was strangely enough still there, only there was some small differences. The taller woman now suddenly had blond instead of black hair. Her face was thinner and her eyes bigger. Also the shorter woman, the one in khaki clothes and worn hat had undergone some changes, more subtle, that somehow made her look both older and younger at the same time. They looked at each other.  
"Damned" the longer said. "They are getting suspicious."  
"There is no need for concern, Calli" said the shorter with calm voice. "My plan will work. We will enter this world again."  
"Oh, like all your other plans these last two thousand years? You know Hope pretty, your mother picked a better name for you than she could ever imagining, but couldn't you just once admit that you are wrong?"  
"I am not wrong beloved one. We have not suffered defeat - just minor drawbacks. This time we will succeed and the world will be ours, only ours!"  
"Hope..."  
"Yes Calisto?"  
"Why are we still kissing?"  
"Why shouldn't we?"

The reflection faded away. When the two archaeologists came back to the room, loaded with burdens and happily babbling with each other there was nothing but a lingering smell of smoke to tell about the two girls in the mirror.


End file.
